Washboard.



U. S. & L. E. BROWN.

AwAsHo/mn. APPLICATION FILED DEC. l, |916.

Patented Sept. 11, 1917.

.ant nr.;

ULYSSES S. BOWN ANI) LUCY E. BRWN, OF LOGANSPORT, INDIANA.

WASHBOARD.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 11, 1917.

Application led December 1, 1916. Serial No. 134,425;

Yo alt whom t may concern:

Be it known that we, ULYssEs S. Bnow and LUCY E. BROWN, citizens of the United States, residing at Logansport, in the county of Cass and State of Indiana, have invented new and useful Improvements in Washboards, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in wash boards, one object of the invention being to provide a wash board, with a hood at the upper end thereof which projects forwardly therefrom and which serves `to prevent suds from splashing over the wash board and also presents a concave upper surface whichV fits the head of the board to the body of the user.

Another object of the invention is to pro'- vide means for securing the wash board to the side of the tub and holding the board in position for use.

Another object is to provide an improved soap holder for the wash board which serves to feed the soap forwardly as it is used and obviates the necessity of handling the soap and also e'ects an economy in the use of the soap. V

With the above and other objects in view the invention consists in the construction, combination and arrangement of devices hereinafter described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings:

Figure 1 isa front elevation of a wash board constructed and arranged in accordance with this invention.

Fig. 2 is a detailed vertical sectional view of the same 0n the plane indicated by the line 3-3 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a detailed transverse sectional view of the same on the plane indicated by the line 4 4 of Fig. 1.

The side bars of the wash board are shown at 1 and the rubbing surface at 2. In accordance with the inventian a hood 3 is provided for the wash board which is preferably made of vsheet metal but may be made of any suitable material. The hood is provided with sides 4 which are secured on the outer sides of the bars 1 of the wash board and are substantially triangular in shape and widened forwardly and upwardly and project from the front side of the wash board, at the upper end thereof, as shown. The hood also has a top portion 5 which extends across the top or head of the board. and. which is downwardly centrally curvedV so that the hood presents a concave upper surface which adapts the upper end of the board to fit against the person of the user and renders the use of the board more comfortable. portion of the hood also projects forwardly from the wash `board so that the hood effectually prevents suds from splashing over the top of the board.

`To secure the board to one side of the tubv and hold the board firmly in place when in use inthe'tub we provide a` pair of catches 6 each of which is pivotally mounted as at 7 on the outer side of one of the side bars l of the board. The catches have downwardly extending arms 8 to engage on the outer side of the wall of the tub and: are also provided each with a curved slot 9 concentric with the pivot.

Clamping screws 10 work in said slots and are engaged in threaded openings in the bars 1 and serve to secure the catches at any desired adjustment. The lower ends of the bars l are beveled as at l1 and are also beveled on their rear sides as at l2 to enable the wash board to be snugly fitted in the bottom of the tub.

rIhe wash board is provided at a point above the rubbing surface with an opening 13 to permit a bar of soap to project forwardly through the same. A soap receiving compartment 15 is arranged on the rear side of the wash board, is open at its outer side and is provided with a hinged cover 16. Reinforcing spring bars 17 extend transversely across the rear side of the wash board, one of said spring bars passing across the rea-r side of the soap receiving compartment.

A soap holder 18 is provided which comprises a pair of members 19 to bear against the rear side of a bar or cake of soap, said members having inturned points 21 at their outer ends to engage in the ends of the soap. Said members also have rearwardly inturned anges 22 in their inner ends and are connected together by coiled retractile springs 23 which serve to draw said members toward each other and cause them to clamp and hold the bar of soap securely l The upper Y rubbed against the front side of the soap and to be soaped thereby. The soap holder may be removed from the compartment by first raising, the cover 16, as will be under-v stood, to permit the removal or the renewal of the bar of soap as may be desired.

While we have herein `shown and de-.

scribed a preferred form of our invention we would have 1t understood that changes Y ma;7 be made in the form, proportion and construction of the several parts without departing from the spirit of our invention and within the scope of the appended claims.V

Having thus described our invention, what we claim is: Y y

l, A wash board haw'ng an opening, a

(Jopies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, byeddressing Washington, .1). Q, i

structineiny the rear of said opening forming a soap receiving` compartment, a soap holder' detachably arranged in said compartment and comprising aV pair of soap clamping members, springs to draw said soap clampingr members toward each other and' a spring slidably connected to said members and'alsoserving t0 force the same and the soap forwardly.

2. A wash board having an opening, a structure in therear of said opening forming' a soap receiving compartment and havlng an opening in the upper side and alsoV having a closed rear side andflanges in its` tures. A ULYSSES S, BROWN .i LUCY E. BRON.l

the omxzriissioner of rfafients, 

